[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 106 (Thursday, June 28, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D931-D933]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AND THE FEDERAL BUDGET
Committee on the Budget: Held a hearing on Medicare Advantage and the 
Federal Budget. Testimony was heard from Peter R. Orszag, Director, 
CBO; Mark E. Miller, Executive Director, Medicare Payment Advisory 
Commission; Mark B. McClellan, former Commissioner, FDA, Department of 
Health and Human Services; and public witnesses.
IMPROVING JOB TRAINING EFFECTIVENESS
Committee on Education and Labor: Subcommittee on Higher Education, 
Lifelong Learning and Competitiveness held a hearing on Workforce 
Investment Act: Recommendations To Improve the Effectiveness of Job 
Training.'' Testimony was heard from Sigurd Nelson, Director, 
Education, Workforce and Income Security Issues, GAO; and public 
witnesses.
ENERGY MEASURES
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Ordered reported the following 
Committee Prints: amended, To promote advanced plug-in hybrid vehicles 
and vehicle components; amended, To enhance availability of energy 
information; and To promote the development of renewable fuels 
infrastructure.
  On July 27, the Committee ordered reported, as amended, the following 
Committee Prints To promote greater energy efficiency; To facilitate 
the transition to a smart electricity grid; and To clarify the amount 
of loans to be guaranteed under title XVII of the Energy Policy Act of 
2005.
MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATIONS IN AFRICA
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health 
held a hearing entitled ``Millennium Challenge Corporation in Africa: 
Promises Versus Progress.'' Testimony was heard from Rodney Bent, 
Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Millennium Challenge Corporation; David 
Gootnick, M.D., Director, International Affairs and Trade, GAO; and 
public witnesses.
PROTECTING U.S. COMPANIES IN COLOMBIA
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on International 
Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight, and the Subcommittee on the 
Western Hemisphere, with the Subcommittee on Health, Education, Labor 
and Pensions, and the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections held a 
joint hearing entitled ``Protection and Money: U.S. Companies, Their 
Employees, and Violence in Columbia.'' Testimony was heard from public 
witnesses.
US-VISIT PROGRAM
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Border, Maritime, and 
Global Counterterrorism held a hearing entitled ``US-VISIT Exit: 
Closing Gaps in Our Security.'' Testimony was heard from the following 
officials of the Department of Homeland Security: Robert A. Mocny, 
Director, US-VISIT Program; and Robert M. Jackson, Executive Director, 
Travel Security and Facilitation, Office of Field Operations, U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection; and

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Randolph C. Hite, Director, Architecture and Systems Issues, 
Information Technology, GAO; and public witnesses.
DESIGNATIVE CLASSIFIED AND SENSITIVE HOMELAND INFORMATION
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee, on Intelligence, 
Information Sharing and Terrorism Risk Assessment held a hearing 
entitled ``Over-Classification and Pseudo-Classification: Making DHS 
the Gold Standard for Designating Classified and Sensitive Homeland 
Security Information.'' Testimony was heard from J. William Leonard, 
Director, Information Security Oversight Office, National Archives and 
Record Administration; and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS ENFORCEMENT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil 
Rights, and Civil Liberties held an oversight hearing on the Impact of 
Ledbetter v. Goodyear on the Effective Enforcement of Civil Rights 
Laws. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
  Committee on Natural Resources: Ordered reported the following 
bills: H.R. 1239, amended, National Underground Railroad Network to 
Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2007; H.R. 1388, amended, Star-
Spangled Banner National Historic Trail Act; H.R. 1011, amended, 
Virginia Ridge and Valley Act of 2007; H.R. 189, amended, Paterson 
Great Falls National Park Act of 2007; H.R. 761, amended, To 
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey to the Missouri 
River Basin Lewis and Clark Interpretive Trail and Visitor Center 
Foundation, Inc. Certain Federal land associated with the Lewis and 
Clark National Historic Trail in Nebraska, to be used as an 
historical interpretive site along the trail; H.R. 1285, amended, 
Snoqualmie Pass Land Conveyance Act; H.R. 1205, amended, Coral Reef 
Conservation Amendments Act of 2007; H.R. 2400, amended, Ocean and 
Coastal Mapping Integration Act; H.R. 50, amended, Multinational 
Species Conservation Funds Reauthorization Act of 2007; H.R. 465, 
amended, Asian Elephant Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2007; 
H.R. 1834, amended, National Ocean Exploration Program Act; H.R. 
716, amended, Santa Rosa Urban Water Reuse Plan Act; H.R. 31, 
Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District Wastewater and Recycled 
Water Facilities Act of 2007; H.R. 1503, amended, Avra/Black Wash 
Reclamation and Riparian Restoration Project; H.R. 1526, amended, 
Bay Area Regional Water Recycling Program Authorization Act; H.R. 
1337, amended, To provide for a feasibility study of alternatives to 
augment the water supplies of the Central Oklahoma master 
Conservancy District and cities served by the district; and 1725, 
Rancho California Water District Recycled Water Reclamation Facility 
Act of 2007.
OVERSIGHT--NATURAL RESOURCES
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral 
Resources held an oversight hearing on The Minerals Management 
Service's Proposed Five Year Program for Oil and Gas Leasing on the 
Outer Continental Shelf. Testimony was heard from Representatives 
Thompson of California, Moran of Virginia and Drake; Walter 
Cruickshank, Acting Director, Minerals Management Service, Department 
of the Interior; Frank Wagner, member, Senate, State of Virginia; 
Albert Pollard, former Member, House of Delegates, State of Virginia; 
and public witnesses.
OVERSIGHT--NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT POLICY ACT EXCLUSIONS
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests 
and Public Lands held an oversight hearing entitled ``Management by 
Exclusion: The Forest Service Use of Categorical Exclusions from 
NEPA.'' Testimony was heard from Mark Rey, Under Secretary, Natural 
Resources and Environment, USDA; Robin Nazzaro, Director, Natural 
Resources and Environment, GAO; Harrison Pollak, Deputy Attorney 
General, State of California; and public witnesses.
WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE AT K-TOWN DOD'S LARGEST SINGLE FACILITY 
CONSTRUCTION PROJECT
  Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Held a hearing on 
Waste, Fraud and Abuse at the K-Town: How Mismanagement Has Derailed 
DOD's Largest Single Facility Construction Project. Testimony was 
heard from the following officials of the GAO: Gregory D. Kutz, 
Managing Director, Forensic Audits and Special Investigations; 
Terrell G. Dorn, Director, Physical Infrastructure; and Bruce A. 
Causseaux, Senior Level Contract and Procurement Fraud Specialist 
Forensic Audits and Special Investigations; BG Danny K. Gardner, 
USAF, Director, Installations and Mission Support, U.S. Air Forces 
in Europe, Department of Defense; and public witnesses.
NASA'S EARTH SCIENCE/APPLICATIONS PROGRAMS
Committee on Science and Technology: Subcommittee on Space and 
Aeronautics held a hearing on NASA's Earth Science and Applications 
Programs: Fiscal Year 2008 Budget Request and Issues. Testimony was 
heard from Michael H. Freilich, Director, Earth Science Division, 
Science Mission Directorate, NASA; and public witnesses.
RECORDING ARTISTS WEBCASTERS ROYALTY RATES
Committee on Small Business: Held a hearing on Assessing the Impact of 
the Copyright Royalty Board Decision to Increase Royalty Rates on 
Recording

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Artists and Webcasters. Testimony was head from Representative Inslee; 
and public witnesses.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Ordered reported the 
following measures: H.R. 2881, amended, FAA Reauthorization Act of 
2007; H.R. 2830, amended, Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2007; H.R. 
2722, Integrated Deepwater Program Reform Act; H.R. 2775, amended, To 
amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 
Act to authorize funding for emergency management performance grants; 
H.R. 781, To redesignate Lock and Dam No. 5 of the McClellan-Kerr 
Arkansas River Navigation System near Redfield, Arkansas, authorized by 
the Rivers and Harbors Act approved July 24, 1946, as the ``Colonel 
Charles D. Maynard Lock and Dam;'' and H. Res. 375, amended, Honoring 
United Parcel Service and its 100 years of commitment and leadership in 
the United States.
  The Committee also approved General Services Administration Lease 
Resolutions.
VETERANS MEASURES
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Subcommittee on Health approved for 
full Committee action, as amended, H.R. 2623, To amend title 38, United 
States Code, to prohibit the collection of copayments for all hospice 
care furnished by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
MEMBER REQUESTS
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Met in executive session to 
consider Member requests for documents in the possession of the 
Committee.